Winning Triple Crown could be sweet and sour for Irish

Ireland captain Johnny Sexton and his team-mates may win the Six Nations Triple Crown on Saturday but it will feel hollow if they finish second to France former full-back Hugo MacNeill told AFP Glyn KIRK AFP

DUBLIN (AFP): Ireland winning the Triple Crown by beating Scotland on Saturday will leave the players feeling hollow if France achieves the Six Nations Grand Slam, former Ireland full-back Hugo MacNeill told AFP.

MacNeill says the satisfaction of lifting the first silverware since head coach Andy Farrell took over after the 2019 World Cup will be tempered by missing out on topping the table.

France host England after the Irish have played the Scots with the French tails up to win the title for the first time since 2010.

The odds are it will end the same as the 2004 tournament when the French secured the Grand Slam and the Irish the Triple Crown at home -- the last time they won a trophy in Dublin.

“I think the Triple Crown without the championship does not mean that much really,” he told AFP by phone on Wednesday.

“These guys are not going to be overly happy finishing second in a six man race.

“When we won the Triple Crown in 1982 (their first since 1949) and ‘85 we also won the championship in those two years.” The 63-year-old 37-times capped MacNeill -- who also played three Tests for the British and Irish Lions on the 1983 tour of New Zealand -- says though his heart would love Ireland to be champions it would not reflect the present status amongst northern hemisphere nations.

“I think France is clearly the best team in the tournament,” he said.

“Ireland are a good side and have made progress and I am very pleased by that.

“But there is still a gap between them (Ireland and France) in terms of developing the game and an attacking platform.” MacNeill says Ireland are helped by the “bedrock” of their rugby system an excellent school’s set-up -- he treasures his Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup title with Blackrock College in 1977 above all other trophies he won.

He adds that the competitiveness of the Irish provinces at European level is also a factor in helping developing top class players ready for the Test arena.

“Ireland are going in the right direction with a good ethic and a lot of building within the team,” he said.